PIETERMARITZBURG – The fate of former President Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution of State advocate Billy Downer and journalist, Karyn Maughan, will now be decided by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Zuma has accused Downer of sanctioning the leaking of confidential medical information to Maughan in breach of the NPA Act.
They’ve both brought applications to have the summonses they’ve been served, reviewed and set aside.
They argue that Zuma is abusing the court process and that he’s brought the private prosecution with ulterior motives.
The applications were heard over two days this week and proceedings wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon, with judgment reserved.
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There were heated exchanges in court on Wednesday afternoon.
Dali Mpofu and his co-counsel, Thabani Masuku, for Zuma, argued for almost five hours.
There was then only 15 minutes of court time left, for Advocate Steven Budlender, for Maughan, and Advocate Geoff Budlender, who’s representing Downer, to make their final submissions.
This led to Steven Budlender raising questions as to how they would do so, following which Mpofu stood up to address the court once more, prompting Budlender to label his conduct unprofessional.
Mpofu took exception to this and to comments Budlender had made earlier in the day to the effect that he was filibustering.
Ultimately, Maughan and Downer’s counsel were given an hour to complete their submissions, in which they described Zuma’s counsel’s representations as a "spectacle" and maintained that the private prosecutions stood to be reviewed and set aside.
The case has now wrapped up, with judgment reserved.
Artmotion S.Africa
